March 14, 2025, 10:26 am | Read time: 3 minutes
There is hardly any other type of pizza that causes as much debate as Hawaiian pizza. Especially in Italy, the combination of ham and pineapple is extremely frowned upon. The latest creation from a popular Australian pizza chain is, therefore, unlikely to appeal to Italians. Here, too, fruit is a key ingredient.
Some love the combination of savory and sweet; others get a gag reflex at the mere thought of eating ham and pineapple together. And so, unsurprisingly, the new pizza creation from Australian pizza chain Bubba Pizza is also causing quite a stir. It is topped with smoked ham, mozzarella — and orange slices.
“Culinary Abomination”
Basically, this is a classic Hawaiian pizza with the pineapple replaced by orange. But this small change was enough to trigger a wave of outrage online. The British Daily Mail, among others, reported on this, citing a heated discussion that erupted on the Reddit platform over the orange-topped pizza.
One user called the creation a “culinary abomination.” “I like orange too. But orange can never go with pizza. I’m out,” wrote another. “Off to prison,” commented another user.
Other Reddit users can better imagine the orange topping on the pizza. “There are many salads with fruit. Is this that far removed from a prosciutto orange salad?” asked one user. “I’d try a slice, but I’m not willing to spend money on it,” wrote another person.
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Italians are Treated to Free Pizza with Orange
The inventors of the “Ham and Orange” pizza take the sometimes nasty comments with humor. In a video that the pizza chain shared on Instagram, a Bubba Pizza employee says: “We know you Italians don’t like pineapple on your pizza; that’s well documented. But we know you love oranges; that’s your favorite fruit, especially in Sicily.” The pizza is “super juicy and super sweet,” and the aim is to unite Italians and Australians who love Hawaiian pizza.
Show an Italian passport at any Bubba’s location, and you’ll be treated to the orange pizza on the house. It’s yet to be seen if any Italians will take up the offer to try this pizza for free.
At least one Italian has already been won over by the unusual topping. Pizza chef Tony Fazio, who developed the dough recipe for Bubba Pizza, explained when asked by TRAVELBOOK: “As an Italian, I was skeptical at first. Yet, the ham and orange pizza has proven to be a surprising hit. It offers a perfect balance between the sweetness of the orange and the tangy ham and is a nod to the citrus flavors that Italians have loved for generations.”